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Polygalacturonase (PG, EC 3.2.1.15) is a crucial enzyme for pectin degradation and is involved in various developmental processes such as fruit ripening, pollen development, cell expansion, and organ abscission. However, information on the <i>PG</i> gene family in the maize (<i>Z</i><i>ea mays</i> L.) genome and the specific members involved in maize anther development are still lacking. In this study, we identified 55 <i>PG</i> family genes from the maize genome and further characterized their evolutionary relationship and expression patterns. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that <i>ZmPGs</i> are grouped into six Clades, and gene structures of the same Clade are highly conserved, suggesting their functional conservation. The <i>ZmPGs</i> are randomly distributed across maize chromosomes, and collinearity analysis showed that many <i>ZmPGs</i> might be derived from tandem duplications and segmental duplications, and these genes are under purifying selection. Furthermore, gene expression analysis provided insights into possible functional divergence among <i>ZmPGs</i>. Based on the RNA-seq data analysis, we found that many <i>ZmPGs</i> are expressed in various tissues while 18 <i>ZmPGs</i> are highly expressed in maize anther, and their detailed expression profiles in different anther developmental stages were further investigated by using RT-qPCR analysis. These results provide valuable information for further functional characterization and application of the <i>ZmPGs</i> in maize.